Automated particle characterization systems are well known instruments that allow researchers to characterize properties of individual members of a collection of distributed particles. They generally employ an automated positioning stage to position a microscope and/or spectrometric probe relative to individual particles that are distributed on a substrate. The system then acquires images and/or spectra of the particles and derives properties such as their shape, size, and chemical makeup.
These systems have been typically used to acquire images of airborne particles that have settled onto a microscope slide. They have also been used to acquire images of suspended particles in a liquid sample sitting on a microscope slide or by filtering them out of the liquid and then characterizing them on the surface of the filter. One application of this type is to characterize particulate contaminants in liquid pharmaceutical preparation so that their source can be understood. Because of the potential safety issues involved, this type of characterization should be highly precise and accurate.